1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in an electric vehicle, an inverter for converting DC electric power from a battery into AC electric power and supplying the AC electric power is connected to a three-phase AC motor. In order to connect the inverter to the motor, a connector attachment structure in which a shield connector connected to the motor through an electric wire is attached to a shield case of the inverter is known (for example, see Patent Reference 1).
This kind of connector attachment structure includes a structure using an electric wire 501 with a shield connector shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. In the electric wire 501 with the shield connector, a pair of upper side connectors (connectors) 505 is attached to one end of an electric wire 503 and a lower side connector 507 is attached to the other end of the electric wire 503 as shown in FIG. 4.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the upper side connector 505 includes a tubular upper side housing (a connector housing) 509 with substantially an elliptic cross section, a cover 511 for closing an opening of the back side of the upper side housing 509, packing 515 which is a sealing member mounted on an outer peripheral surface 513 of the upper side housing 509, plural bus bars (terminal fittings) 517 in which one ends are arranged inside the upper side housing 509 and the other ends are respectively connected to conductors of the plural electric wires 503, and an upper side shield shell 519 with which the outside of the upper side housing 509 is covered.
The outsides of the electric wires 503 connected to the respective bus bars 517 are collectively covered with a braid (a metal mesh) 521 as shown in FIG. 4. The braid 521 is connected to the upper side shield shell 519 of the upper side connector 505 and a lower side shield shell 525 with which a lower side housing 523 of the lower side connector 507 is covered.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the bus bar 517, one end arranged inside the upper side housing 509 forms a free end bent in an L shape so as to be orthogonal to a fitting direction of the connector and is erected, and a fastening hole 527 into which a bolt 540 for making connection to the other terminal (not shown) is inserted is bored in this free end. The upper side housing 509 is inwardly provided with space 529 for bus bar fastening. When a fitting part of the other connector (not shown) is externally inserted into the outside of the upper side housing 509 of the upper side connector 505, a gap between the upper side housing 509 and the fitting part of the other connector is watertightly sealed with the packing 515 constructing a sealing part 531.